The solar eclipse, which will be up to 90 percent visible in our area, is quickly approaching. It's happening early in the afternoon on August 21st, and even though it will begin to look like nighttime in the middle of the day, there have been repeated warnings not to look at the sun during this process!

Whether it’s a journey or a struggle or a fight, dealing with cancer is tough on everyone. There is a special “cancer survivors celebration” taking place this coming Sunday, June 4th organized by the Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, and there will be a special guest, therapist and author Mike Verano.

89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry spoke with him about his own cancer journey and his thoughts on coming out on the other side of a cancer challenge… and finding peace in yourself and for your friends and family.

A state Senate committee holds a hearing today on bills to outlaw female genital mutilation in Michigan. It’s already a federal crime with a penalty of up to five years in prison. The bill’s sponsors say that’s not tough enough. A lot of experts say a tougher law may not be enough to deter an entrenched cultural and religious practice.

In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair speaks to Melissa Cooper-Sargent, Green Living Resources Director for the Ecology Center, about the environmental and health risks of using antibacterial soap.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States, and Michigan Medicine is opening a new clinic considered to be the first of its kind in the nation to deal with high-risk cases.

In our previous 18-installments on the Ann Arbor area’s 1, 4 dioxane plume, we’ve heard from citizens, scientists, and government officials; both locally and from other dioxane sites around the country. Meanwhile, requests for interviews with the “Responsible Party”—Gelman Sciences, Pall Corporation or Danaher, are all met with silence. In this episode of “The Green Room,” we learn, that wasn’t always the case.

Environmental Protection Agency risk assessments indicate that the drinking water concentration representing a one in a 100,000 cancer risk level for 1,4-dioxane is 3.5 parts per billion, and for a one in a million cancer risk it is .35 ppb. Only three states still have double-digit drinking water guidelines for dioxane: New York, South Carolina, and Michigan. Obviously, what is “safe” is subject to subject to interpretation, and is influenced by many variables. But there is growing awareness that what is safe for you, may not be safe for your children or grandchildren.

Fracking, to say the least, is a controversial method of energy resource extraction. Those who implement the practice contend it's more efficient, effective, and is not an environmental hazard. There are many who disagree, particularly when it comes to environmental impact. In this week’s, “Issues of the Environment,” WEMU’s David Fair discusses fracking and the effort to put it to a vote of the people with LuAnne Kozma, the ‎campaign director at The Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan​.